boehner wants the rate to stay at 35% or even lower. but what about meeting in the middle? around 37%? listen carefully to the speaker when he was asked today whether that rate could be the answer to this impasse. >> there are a lot of things that are possible. to put the revenue the president seeks on the table. but none of it's going to be possible if the president insists on his position. insists on my way or the highway. >> you hear what he said? a lot of things are possible. that may not sound like much where you're from, but here in washington, it sounds suspiciously like code for we're making progress. more evidence boehner's democratic counterpart house minority leader nancy pelosi also seems to be softening her language as we head into the weekend. listen. >> what we want to do is protect the middle class. so it's not about the rate. it's about the money. >> so is 37 the magic number in this fiscal cliff debate? "outfront," two men who know taxes very well. douglas holtz-ekin, president of the american action forum and robert reich from the university of california